EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Sidewalk Talk w/ Tara Lightfoot of A Brilliant Lie | EP Release Show at Will’s Pub, Orlando FL | August 8, 2016

by Sarah Schumaker • August 6, 2016

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

“Hello?”

Cue bad Verizon commercial. Except, in this case, it’s a different phone carrier and the noise of a dozen screaming children running up at any given moment (parents nowhere in sight) to see the Rainforest Cafe volcano erupt, which contributes to the poor connection.

A small and rare chunk of unoccupied sidewalk space outside of The LEGO Store in Disney Springs, two Margarita’s deep is not the ideal interview locale or conditions, but I push forward like the “professional”(HA!) I am.

Freaking T-mobile is killing me right now.”

The voice of Tara Lightfoot coos in and out from the other end of the phone.

“We’re in Kokomo, Indiana right now and reception blows,” she says. The band, A Brilliant Lie, are four shows deep on their tour and currently traipsing interstates across middle America in a giant conversion van, trailer in tow.

The Orlando-groomed alt-rock band, A Brilliant Lie, have been in the game for a couple years now. They’re in the middle of a three-part EP release; the first part, Threads:Cutter, was released in 2015.

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“It was,” she pauses, “more of a business decision, honestly. Singles are rare these days in a world of people dropping full albums, but you really have to count on people’s attention spans and I don’t know how much you can do that, you know?”

Lightfoot is hesitant when she mentions this, as she doesn’t want to slight her audience at all. It’s true, though. In a world where everything is so accessible from your phone, from your couch, your plan has to be strategic on keeping your audience engaged, all the while being true to your art. An artist struggle I do not envy.

It just made sense for us as a band and the direction we were growing, literally growing. Over the past couple of years, we made a lot of changes. We became a five piece and our sound shifted, so we had to evolve around that. Our writing process …”

“Whoaaaa….is that REAAAAL?!”

The youths rush back to the gate to marvel once again at the puffs scratching the sky from the man-made construct across the lake and are taken away just as easily at the mention of candied treats. Said attention spans in action.

… Our writing process catered to the three-part series just based on the way we work. We write 25 songs, narrow it down to 15 and then pick the best five. Every time we learn more about each other and grow together.”

Threads: Spinner will be the second of the three-part release accompanied with an August 8 show at Will’s Pub. I prod at how conducive being on the road is for creativity.

It helps to a point. Cutter was released last July while we were out on the road. We joke about releasing a bunch of our ‘van songs.’ It’s tough when you’re doing all the leg work, having long ass drives and trying to find a free moment.”

Another aspect of artist life I do not envy, life on the road. How does one find sanity in the confines of a 12×12 space?

I mean I suppose it’s different for everyone. We all have our comforts but mostly, we just always have guitars around, try to have conversations. Technology helps to keep in contact with people back home when T-mobile is being shitty!” Lightfoot jokes.

The distraction comes from the other side this time.

“Sorry, people keep walking by me and I don’t know if I need to go on soon or not!”

I keep forgetting I’m talking to a rock star, a term Lightfoot endearingly rejects.

A rock star, oh gosh, I don’t know about that. We’ve just been tremendously lucky. Orlando is the biggest small city. There’s a lot to do. Everybody knows everybody in the scene and there’s always live music.”

She elaborates how they’ve been to cities where music like that isn’t accessible.

Orlando really helped us bloom as a band. You could have a show on a Wednesday night, middle of the week, but you knew that 15 bands, all comprised of your friends, would be there to support you. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

In this moment I feel akin to that obnoxious fake volcano, pregnant with a proud, fervent fire in my belly. I eek out a “hell yea!” Local love is so important in music, something Lightfoot highlights with pride.

“I got married a couple months ago …”

“Congrats!” I eek again.

Thank you! But I looked at all the people in the crowd and half of these people I met because of bands. Because we would go to each other’s shows and sit at the bar, have a drink, we became a community. We created a family.”

A tinge of guilt reaches through the crackling connection as she expresses a little bit of sadness being out-of-town and not being able to get to her friend’s shows.

You can bet your ass if we’re in town, though, we’re there. And not just your friends shows, either, you know? Say you go to a bar and there’s a band who hasn’t quite nailed their sound, but that’s their dream. You’re a part of that. Freaking be a part of their team.“

It’s trite to mention (perhaps) but I feel as if I’m gabbing with an old friend at this point in the conversation — which is why I bite my cheek with hesitation to even ask this question. It could tip the scale either way.

Tara is the frontwoman for a rock band made up of four other guys. She must see it coming. The gender question. It shouldn’t be an issue, but unfortunately, it is. I ask her if she’s felt any push-back from the industry at all. Has it been a factor in hindering or helping the band?

Promoters have been like, ‘oh, they’re just trying to be Paramore,’ or will book you for a festival because they just want to fill a look. … If it gives us more of an opportunity, then it does but I wish people had their ear on us before they took a look at us.”

It’s a sad truth that music is not always blind but the singer’s stoic attitude is admirable.

I’m in a band and happen to have a vagina. I’m a female vocalist and that’s never going to change and I wouldn’t want it to. We have a unique sound aside from the fact I’m a woman. Diversity just confuses people, like Jimmy Hendrix shredded regardless of race, not because of it.”

I give another well earned, “hell yeah,” as she begins to laugh again,

“Our drummer is always joking like, how come no one asks me what it’s like to drum and have a dick?”

I’m in small stitches, scribbling down her bandmates all too true words. I assure her I will ask him at the EP release if his, er, male anatomy helps or hinders his performance just to even the playing field a little.

I’ve taken enough of her time and rockstar duties beckon. We exchange excited sentiments of meeting each other in person and in 20 short minutes, Lightfoot has added another person to her fan club.

Let’s recap.

A Brilliant Lie is a five piece alt-rock band made up of Tara Lightfoot, Chris Lane, Jason Lemrond, Matthew Movens, Nick Scout. Their Facebook “About” section is short and brief: “Doing things…saying stuff…rockin’ out.” They will be releasing the second part of a three series EP named, Threads:Spinner. Check Threads:Cutter for absolute head-banging tunes to get you ready. The show is Monday, August 8 at Will’s Pub in Orlando, FL. Bring a friend. Bring five. And be prepared to thrash, high-five, and catch some heavy rock’n’roll vibes. Echoing Lightfoot’s earlier statement, be a part of their team. Show up, support, and close your eyes. Listen and embrace musical intuition with your ears first.

Female or not, we’ve got a good thing going. That’s all there is to it.”

Where am I going to be on Monday, Papa? At a goddamned rock show.

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A Brilliant Lie Interview by Sarah Schumaker, edited by Matthew Weller.

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